During the MASA 2026 edition, held from April 11 to 18, 2026, ORUN and 1xBET implemented the We Champion Talent program, an initiative aimed at promoting African talent and advancing the development of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs)
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, April, 2026/ — As part of the Innovation
Village co-organized with MASA at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan
from April 14 to 18, ORUN (https://ORUN.Africa [7]) announces the
rollout of its partnership with 1xBET to support a creative Africa that
is structuring itself, professionalizing, and scaling across the
continent.
Designed as a space of convergence between heritage, innovation, and
knowledge transmission, the Innovation Village features scenography
crafted by Ivorian artisans, a program of panels and masterclasses on
creative industries, an immersive experience produced by Orun Studios,
and a major institutional highlight on April 17. Its narrative platform
is built around three pillars: memory, structure, and transmission. The
initiative aims to position cultural and creative industries as an
economic driver for the continent.
“The Innovation Village was conceived as an act of construction. By
partnering with organizations such as 1xBET, we aim to demonstrate that
it is possible to support African talent, narratives, and creative
ecosystems over the long term, with ambition and consistency,” said
Habyba Thiero, CEO of Africa Currency Network and President of ORUN.
This vision aligns with ORUN’s broader ambition to produce, structure,
and internationalize African creative industries through events,
content, and strategic partnerships.
ABOUT ORUN:
Led by the Africa Currency Network (ACN) and a member of the Kigali
International Financial Centre, ORUN is a pan-African organization
dedicated to structuring Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) as
drivers of sustainable development, cultural sovereignty, and soft power
across the continent. As a strategic lever, ORUN works to transform
local economies by promoting African talent and expertise. At the
intersection of creation, design, craftsmanship, and knowledge
transmission, ORUN converts skills, narratives, and talent into
sustainable cultural, economic, and symbolic assets capable of
generating local value while engaging key stakeholders and international
platforms.
